The NBA has canceled a planned Atlanta Hawks promotion linked to a popular strip club following criticism from San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet.

Kornet, 30, called out the Hawks for the team’s “Magic City Night” promotion planned for their March 16 home game against the Orlando Magic, which billed Magic City as "Atlanta’s iconic cultural institution." The promotion included a special-edition hoodie, a halftime performance by Atlanta rapper T.I., and serving the club's signature Lemon Pepper wings. 

The team's press release did not explicitly mention that Magic City is "Atlanta’s premier strip club," as the business' website states.

In a Medium blog post published on March 2, Kornet called for the event's cancellation, citing concerns about the league's image and treatment of women.

"The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world,” he wrote. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love."

Kornet, an NBA veteran who played key reserve roles with the Celtics before earning a starting spot with the Spurs, warned NBA officials that "allowing this night to go forward without protest would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society." He noted that "regardless of how a woman finds her way into the adult entertainment industry, many in this space experience abuse, harassment, and violence to which they should never be subjected."

He concluded his post by urging the league, owners, employees and fans to "hold the Atlanta Hawks to a higher standard of what they find worthy of promoting.”

Within days, Kornet's post gained traction and drew support from several high-profile NBA players, including former Hawks star Al Horford. On March 9, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver intervened, announcing the cancellation days before the scheduled date. In his statement, Silver cited "significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners, and employees," and called it "the right decision for the broader NBA community."

The Hawks responded by saying the organization was “very disappointed” in the decision.

"While we are very disappointed in the NBA's decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision. As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta — with authenticity — in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together."

Focus on the Family, a Christian media organization, praised Kornet's stand on social media Tuesday.

"Standing for truth isn’t easy ... but it’s always important," the group wrote, adding, "Taking a stand like that can mean facing criticism from teammates, coaches, fans, and the broader culture. But this is what courage and integrity look like…Credit to Luke Kornet for standing for what’s right." 

The post also cited Ephesians 5:11: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

Liberty Christian School, a private school in Argyle, Texas, also put out a statement saying they were “proud” of Kornet, who graduated from Liberty Christian in 2013, for his bold stance.

“Proud of Liberty Christian Alumni Luke Kornet ‘13 for taking a stand for his beliefs this week! Way to be a Warrior! #Warrior4Life” the school wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday.

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/nba-cancels-promotion-linked-to-atlanta-strip-club.html